Dietitian Approved Winter Workouts Made Easy
When it’s cold and snowy outside, it can be harder to motivate yourself to get moving. Our best advice? Have a plan in place so you’re more likely to stick with it. It can help to have an accountability buddy too. Let’s break down how to create an attainable winter workout plan.
When building a workout plan, aim to incorporate a mixture of strength training, cardio, and gentle movement. Make it realistic for you and feel free to tweak any movements to a beginner level. Go for challenging but doable.
Strength Training Workout Routine:
Strength training is a great way to build muscle and preserve bone density. You can strength train with free weights, machines, resistance bands, or even bodyweight. Ease into it with lighter weights and work your way up. Some great beginning exercises to try are squats, lunges, bicep curls, overhead presses, push-ups, and sit-ups.
Cardio Workout Routine:
Cardiovascular training is important for general heart health and blood circulation. Examples of cardio include biking, brisk walking, swimming, dancing, boxing, and running.
Chrissy Carroll, MPH, RD, LDN loves to make running anything but boring. She shared with us, “Cardio workouts get your heart pumping, reduce the risk of chronic disease, and help with stress relief. Plus, exercise increases BDNF - a brain-derived neurotrophic factor - which is involved in optimal brain health and cognitive function. Whether it's a jog through the woods, jump roping with your kids, or taking a dance class - your body and mind will thank you!” Chrissy is a dietitian and personal trainer and offers great advice for exercise at any fitness, you can learn more here.
Try out this fun interval-style cardio workout this week.
Gentle Movement Workout Routine:
Yoga can help you tune into your body, be more mindful, and slow down any racing thoughts. It can aid in sleep, stress management, and muscle tension.
Yoga is great for any level, whether you are craving lighter, low-impact movement, are in need of a rest day, or even low-impact strength training. Yoga poses are perfect to break out mid-day to decompress the spine and increase blood flow and incorporate some movement into your day.
It’s important to have a snack both before and after a workout. This keeps you energized during your workout and helps to repair your muscles afterwards.
Natural Delights® Medjool dates can be a delicious ingredient to add to both pre and post-workout snacks. With 16 essential vitamins and minerals, including carbohydrates, fiber, and potassium, you can feel good about adding dates to your workout routine.
Need some inspiration? Try these snacks:
Natural Delights also has a dietitian-approved training guide on their website. This is helpful for those wanting to dive deeper into their fitness goals and learn more about the best ways to fuel their body. Grab the guide here!
Mackenzie Burgess, RDN of TheRDLink.com
Mackenzie Burgess is a registered dietitian and recipe developer in the Denver area. She focuses on customizable recipes with ingredients of your choice. She regularly appears on digital and broadcast media sharing quick meals and kitchen hacks.
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